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Make "vote by mail" the statewide standard.
My
plan will increase turnout. We live in a changing
world. Requiring voters to cast ballots at polling places
creates a barrier to participation. As a pro-family Republican,
I don't believe that a working mother or a father holding
two jobs should have to choose between caring for their family
and casting a vote. Nor should folks with disabilities be
prevented from voting because polling places are inaccessible
or offer the voter no privacy while completing the ballot.
This isn't fair and it isn't right.
Voting by mail is simple and convenient. Everyone knows how to use a postage stamp. Voters will receive a ballot and voting guide two weeks before an election, and will have plenty of time to review complex initiatives and make thoughtful choices. Every voter with disabilities will be able to vote privately and independently. The County Recorders will provide Braille or cassette versions of ballots and voting guides at the voter's convenience. For Arizonans who prefer to cast a vote in person, we can offer an Election Day alternative by providing secure ballot boxes in public libraries or American Legion Halls.
Let's guarantee everyone the opportunity to participate in our democracy. Let's make every vote count.
My plan will save money. As a budget-conscious Republican, I believe we must spend the people's money wisely and carefully. As we all are aware, the state is running a very large budget deficit. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is the economic recession. The events of 9-11 just made things worse. Now is the time to set aside our differences. Let's fix the problem, not the blame. One thing we can do in the Secretary of State's Office is to tighten our belts and undertake major new programs only if they are self-financing. My "vote by mail" plan will pay for itself and will save the state money once fully adopted.
Based upon figures from Oregon, a statewide "vote by mail" program will save us approximately one million dollars per election cycle. As vote counting will be centralized at the county level, we can eliminate the need to maintain and staff precinct-level polling places. Over several election cycles, we can use the savings to purchase modern optical scanners. Working closely with County Recorders, we can replace the antiquated punch-card machines still in use in nine of our fifteen counties. Once this upgrade is complete, the money saved by "vote by mail" can be used for other important government purposes.
My plan will restore voters' faith in our elections. Voting fraud is as old as our democracy, and no system, no matter how well designed, will ever eliminate it. I do not believe the problem is widespread here in Arizona, and the much-remarked abuses are the exceptions that prove the rule. Our County Recorders do a great job. But as a rule-of-law Republican, I believe we must do all we can to justify the voters' faith in election results.
My "vote by mail" plan ensures integrity because the signature on each ballot cast is compared to the signature on the voter's registration card. The irregularities discovered in a recent election in El Mirage were brought to light in this way. "Vote by mail" raises the stakes for those who might abuse the system by adding the federal offense of mail fraud to the mix. We can and must use money saved by election reforms to relentlessly pursue those voters who break the law.
By replacing the outdated punch card machines still in use in several counties, we can greatly increase the accuracy of vote counting. A study conducted by scholars from two leading research universities concluded that millions of votes are left uncounted in presidential elections. Two other studies, one from Arizona and the other from Oregon, have shown that uncounted votes vary widely with the type of ballot used. Punch-card ballots result in a disproportionate number of these "lost" votes. We can use the money saved by my "vote by mail" plan to ensure state-of-the-art accuracy for voters in Arizona. My program will result in a much fairer system that will put rural voters and city voters on an equal footing. Let us count every vote.
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Establish a statewide, computerized voter registration database.
My plan will ensure the accuracy and completeness of voter registration rolls. Arizona is a dynamic state with many births and deaths and thousands of people moving in and out every year. Under my plan, voter registration data will be updated daily with information gathered from state driver licensing bureaus and county death records. This will quickly clean up the voter rolls by removing the names of individuals no longer eligible to vote.
We can use funds freed-up by my election reforms to get the database up-and-running within four years. I also plan to work closely with our elected representatives to Congress to see if we can secure a federal grant for this purpose.
My plan will reduce Election Day abuses. You have no doubt heard the expression "vote early and often." Well, early is good, but once is quite enough! By removing phantom voters from the rolls, we will significantly reduce the potential for malicious mischief on Election Day.
Election reform will free employees from other duties so they may ensure that every voter registration form is verified in accordance with state and federal standards. It is also important that we extend to every potential voter the protections granted under our state and federal constitutions. But as your Secretary of State, I pledge to do everything in my power to ensure the fairness and integrity of our elections.
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Improve community outreach.
My plan will expand online services. Our current Secretary, Betsey Bayless, has done an excellent job of making her department more customer-friendly, and I intend to build on her successes. Arizonans can now register to vote, receive voting guides, and monitor real-time election results online. The public has online access to the trade names, trademarks, and partnerships on file with the Secretary of State's Office. But we can do more.
Betsey has said "any service a citizen can receive standing in line should also be available online." I agree. For example, although lobbyists can now file online, their records are not yet available for online public review. And businesses cannot yet apply for trade names and logos online. I intend to change this. We must make Arizona a friendlier place for consumers and businesses alike.
One other ambitious and important goal is to launch a pilot program with computer-savvy university students to test the future feasibility of online voting. The Internet holds great promise. As a voting technology, however, there remain problems that leave us several years from a truly workable system. Aside from security and identity theft issues, we must face the fact that many voters do not yet own a computer, and if they do, they might lack Internet access. Others simply find the technology baffling. We need to remember that for those not weaned on personal computers, even a word processor can prove a challenge. Let's give the technology a test run so that once we adopt, no one will be left behind.
My plan will encourage students to study the issues and vote. I would like to see the number of civics credits required for graduation increased from one and one half to two, and I will work closely with the new Superintendent of Public Instruction to make this happen. I hope also to see mock elections and programs such as "Rock the Vote" incorporated in the curriculum. Lastly, I will undertake a new speaking program aimed at elementary and secondary schools (I began my working career as a public school teacher) with the hope of inspiring our children to take an interest in civics and get involved in politics. It is critical that we instill in our young people the desire to carefully study the issues and to take passionate and principled positions on the important questions of the day. We must teach them that there is nothing to fear in sharp debate. Debate exposes the weaknesses in a poor argument and strengthens a good one. It is okay to disagree as long as we set aside our differences in the interest of the common good. Passion is not the enemy. The real enemy of democracy is indifference.
My plan will empower the citizens of Arizona. There are many laws on the books designed to protect consumers against fraudulent business practices and harassment by telemarketers. I will launch a comprehensive program to increase public awareness of the laws designed to protect them. Through lectures and widespread distribution of printed and Internet materials, we can give them the tools they need to protect themselves.
In a time of budget deficits, when it will be politically difficult to adopt large and expensive new programs, it is imperative that we teach people about the simple, inexpensive, and effective weapons they have at their disposal.
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Sincerely,
Sharon Collins
"Collins for Secretary"
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